Tag Archives: 52 Ancestors

Pieces to the Schröder Puzzle

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Birth, Documents, Family History, Genealogy, Schröder Family, Schroeder Family

A few months ago, I wrote about some confusion with dates regarding Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Schröder.  Since then, I have been collecting records on all of his siblings to see how Frederick Ludwig Schroeder (my great great grandfather) could be related.

From German baptism records, I’ve learned that Heinrich’s parents, Friedrich Wilhelm Schröder and Auguste Wilhelmine Besser were the parents of eight children.

I’m thinking my Frederick must be a cousin to Heinrich, if he’s related at all.  I suppose it’s possible that he and Heinrich are the same person and Heinrich changed his name at some point, but that seems unlikely unless his name was changed around the time of the birth of Heinrich Wilhelm Rudolph.

Supposedly, my Frederick was born on December 12, 1850 in Germany (or Prussia).   So far, all I know for sure about Frederick is that he married Louise Reisenberg on May 8, 1882 in Lucas County, Ohio.9

Sources

  1. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N691-F7P : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Dorothee Helene Schroeder, 07 May 1838; citing ; FHL microfilm 582,899.
  2. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFN5-K82 : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Franz Wilhelm Schroeder, 17 Jan 1841; citing ; FHL microfilm 582,900.
  3. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NTV2-8K9 : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Hermine Dorothee Schroeder, 29 Oct 1843; citing ; FHL microfilm 582,900.
  4. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5Q1-YLX : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Auguste Charlotte Schroeder, 25 Jan 1846; citing ; FHL microfilm 582,900.
  5. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NZ5S-DB9 : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Anne Wilhelmine Schroeder, 30 Apr 1848; citing ; FHL microfilm 1,050,751.
  6. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NZ5S-8XJ : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Heinrich Ludwig Schroeder, 05 Jan 1851; citing ; FHL microfilm 1,050,751.
  7. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NZ5S-7JR : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Carl Friedrich Schroeder, 14 Aug 1853; citing ; FHL microfilm 1,050,751.
  8. “Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898,” , FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFN5-PXM : accessed 12 August 2015), Friedrich Wilhelm Schroeder in entry for Heinrich Wilhelm Schroeder, 28 Mar 1858; citing ; FHL microfilm 582,900.
  9. Lucas County, Ohio Marriages 1920, Vol. 39, p.483, FamilySearch.org.

 

Henrich Wiseheart: Untangling the Wiseheart Line (52 Ancestors #52)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Documents, Family History, Genealogy, Immigration, Research Process, Wiseheart Family

Previously, I wrote about John Wiseheart and not being able to figure out which John he is.  As a result, one of my goals for 2016 is to resolve this issue.  A few years ago, my grandpa told me about Henrich Wiseheart, who came over here on the Winter Galley in 1738.  He said he believed that Henrich was our immigrant Wiseheart ancestor and John’s grandfather.  He let me borrow the “Wiseheart” box, full of papers, to look through.  There were several documents on Henrich and his children, which have left me scratching my head.  These are, to the best of my ability to decipher since none of them are cited, passenger lists for the Winter Galley, two orphans court records, three probate records, and a letter from a relative.  I started with the letter.

The letter was addressed to my grandpa and written by Velda Clark.  In it, Velda tells of her sister-in-law finding some information about Hans Nicholas Wiseheart online.  According to this information, Hans Nicholas is the son of Henrich Wiseheart and an unknown mother.  Hans Nicholas married Barbara Lehr and had a son, Johann, with her.  He then married Rachel.  They had Nancy, Polly, Catherine, and John.  The rest of the letter goes on about Polly.1

With this information in mind, I moved on to the orphans court records.  The first one I looked at, dated May of 1763, is about Henry Wisehart, son of Henry Wisehart, whose guardian is Gotlieb Ziegler.  Henry, the son, was born in June of 1744.2  As I had no way of knowing from this whether this was my Henry or not, I filed it away for later.

The next record, dated August of 1750, was for Casper Wiliert and Michael Koontz, guardians of the orphans of Henry Wiseheart.  These children were Christopher (born circa 1741), Hans Nicholas (born circa 1744), and Gartrude (born March 1, 1748).  Christopher was bound out to Godlib Liegler to be an apprentice carpenter.  Hans Nicholas was bound out to Johannes Shultz to be an apprentice blacksmith.  Gartrude was bound out to Casper Wiliert.  No trade was mentioned.3  It seems to be that he is officially taking her in as his ward.

The interesting thing about these records is that Hans Nicholas and the aforementioned Henry, son of Henry, were born about the same time.  I wondered if they might be twins.  However, Henry is not mentioned at all in the orphans court records of August 1750, which names all the children of Henrich.  Then, I noticed that Christpher was bound out to Godlib Liegler and Henry’s guardian is Gotlieb Ziegler.  I believe Liegler was supposed to have been Ziegler.  This made me wonder if Christopher and Henry were the same person, one of the names being his middle name, but there’s quite an age difference between the two records.  The 1763 record says that Henry is eighteen years old.  Christopher was bound until the age of twenty-one, which is how old he would have been in 1763.  I decided to leave it alone for now since Hans Nicholas is my primary concern.

I moved on to the probate records.  The first one, dated May of 1750, identifies Matthias and Elizabeth Culb, Daniel Dreighler, and Casper Wilyard as the administrators of Henry Wisehart’s estate.  It goes on to say that Elizabeth Culb is the late widow of Henry Wisehart.4  I’ve seen this a lot while working on projects at work.  One parent dies and the other remarries and the children are bound out, usually by their step-parent.

The second probate record, dated May of 1751, doesn’t provide any new information on Henrich or his children.4  The third probate record, dated December of 1752, states that Casper Wiliar is one of the bond men for Matthias and Elizabeth Culb.4

I looked at the passenger lists.  There were three lists for the Winter Galley in 1738.  Henrich was thirty years old.  He was listed as Henrich Weyshart on the first list, which was made in Rotterdam, Netherlands.  On the second list, from Deal, Kent, England, he was Henrich Weishart.  On the third list, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was Henry Weishart.  On September 5, 1738, Henrich took the Oath of Allegiance.5

This information is all fairly useful, but I really needed something to help me piece it together.  I decided to look at some user-submitted family trees online, to see if anyone had done this research.  I’m afraid all it did was confuse me more.  One tree suggested that Hans Nicholas went by John, which is a thought I had also had.  After all, Hans is traditionally a short form of Johann or Johannes.  It also mentioned records for Hans Nicholas in Adams County, Pennsylvania and Rockingham County, Virginia.6  I’ll have to look into that.

Another tree suggested that Henrich’s name was actually John Heinrich Wiseheart.7  That made me stop to think that perhaps John, son of John, son of John and John, son of Hans Nicholas, son of Henrich might be the same person.  I compared what I knew about the dates and spouses of both lines and this isn’t possible.  Herein lies the problem with unsourced family trees.  They can be helpful in providing clues to the next puzzle piece, but they can also have you doubting yourself.  I haven’t found anything to suggest that Henrich’s name was John other than this one family tree, and that person doesn’t have a source for that information.

With this post, I have exhausted all of the ancestors about whom I know much of anything.  Because of this, I’ve decided not to do the 52 Ancestors Challenge in 2016.  Instead, my New Year’s Resolution is to research more on the handful of ancestors who have proved to be difficult:  John Wiseheart, Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Schröder, Charlotte Poppa, Leason Gilliland (the entire Gilliland family, really), Ossian Salisbury, and Frank Springer.  I also intend to go through all of the fruit boxes full of papers next year, to see what my grandparents have already found on these people.  I will post updates on my progress.

Sources

  1. Clark, Velda. “RE: Hans Nicholas Wiseheart.” Letter to Sanford Wiseheart. 31 May 2006. MS. In My Possession, New Albany, Indiana.
  2. “Henry Wisehart.” Orphans Court Records. York County, Pennsylvania: n.p., 31 May 1763. N. pag. Microfilm.
  3. “Casper Wilert and Michael Koontz.” Orphans Court Records. York County, Pennsylvania: n.p., 4 Aug 1750. N. pag. Microfilm.
  4. “Estate of Henry Wisehart.” Probate Records. York County, Pennsylvania: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Microfilm.
  5. Strassburger, Ralph Beaver, and William John Hinke. “Winter Galley 1738.”Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808. Vol. 1. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub., 1966. 198-203. Print.
  6. Yates-Potter, Dellamarie. “Information about Hans Nicholas Wiseheart.”Yates Family Tree. Genealogy.com, 24 Sept. 2004. Web. 26 Dec. 2015.
  7. “John Heinrich Wiseheart.” Ryner Family Tree. Ancestry.com, n.d. Web. 26 Dec. 2015.

Lucia Gander: Kind and Sympathetic (52 Ancestors #51)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Gander Family, Genealogy, Immigration, Photographs, Seewer Family
John Jacob and Lucia (Gander) Seewer

John Jacob and Lucia (Gander) Seewer (ca. 1912)

Lucia Gander was born on May 17, 1852 in Switzerland, to parents Jacob and Mary (Romang) Gander.1,2,3,4,5,6  She married Johann Jakob Seewer in 1878.1,2  In 1881, the couple, with their baby, Louise, boarded the S.S. Labrador and came to the United States.1,2,3,7  They were farmers and had nine children.1,2,3  Lucia died on March 4, 1931 in Lincoln County, Kentucky.5,6

Seewer, John Jacob and Lucia Gander 2

Johann Jakob and Lucia (Gander) Seewer.

This would be all I know about my great-great-great-grandmother but for a very nice obituary that I came across on Find A Grave.

46950727_126973746356

Obituary for Lucia (Gander) Seewer, 1931.

This was a very short post, but worth mentioning I think.

Sources

  1. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Year: 1900; Census Place: Turnersville, Lincoln, Kentucky; Roll: 539; Page: 1B; Enumeration District:0040; FHL microfilm: 1240539.
  2. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.  Year: 1910; Census Place: Hustonville, Lincoln, Kentucky; Roll: T624_490; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0059; FHL microfilm: 1374503.
  3. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.  Year: 1920; Census Place: Hustonville, Lincoln, Kentucky; Roll: T625_586; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 87; Image: 1144.
  4. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.  Year: 1930; Census Place: Hustonville, Lincoln, Kentucky; Roll: 764; Page: 9B; Enumeration District:0011; FHL microfilm: 2340499.
  5. Ancestry.com. Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1963 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.  Kentucky. Kentucky Birth, Marriage and Death Records – Microfilm (1852-1910). Microfilm rolls #994027-994058. Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky.
  6. “Lucia Gander Seewer (1852 – 1931) – Find A Grave Memorial.” FindAGrave.com. Douser, 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. Find A Grave Memorial # 46950727.
  7. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.  Year: 1881; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 435; Line: 15; List Number: 397.

 

Sarah Gilliland: Woman of Mystery (52 Ancestors #50)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Gilliland Family, Research Process

Before I get started, I want to apologize for the delay in my post.  I’ve had a health issue that prevented me from working on it.  My intention is to do two posts this week to catch up.

I was recently contacted by a distant cousin who wanted more information on the Gilliland family.  This prompted some research on Sarah, the youngest of the Gilliland children.  She has proven to be an interesting person to research.

Sarah Gilliland was born on November 29, 1854 in Indiana to Leason and Serilda (Long) Gilliland.  She died on September 21, 1927 in New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana.1,2,3,4  All other details of her life are sketchy at best.  I decided to do a spreadsheet to help me keep track of where she was and when.  New Albany City Directories were invaluable in this effort.

Sarah Gilliland Time Table

After finding indications that she may have been married, I began looking for her marriage record.  So far, I have been unsuccessful.

Sarah had three children that I know of for sure, and I suspect she was the mother of one other child.  Ava Gilliland was born on January 21, 1883, Daniel Gilliland was born in February of 1886, and Sarilda (or Zerelda) Gilliland was born circa 1892 and died in June of 1895.4,5,6,7

Ava’s father is unknown.  What I know about him is that he was born in New Albany, Indiana, was 40 years old at the time of Ava’s birth, and was not married to Sarah at that time.5  The only thing that I know about Daniel’s father is that he was born in Indiana.4

Comparing the date of Sarilda’s birth and the dates around which Sarah went from being listed as Miss to being listed as Mrs., I’m guessing Sarilda’s father is the man that Sarah was allegedly married to.  I don’t know if all of Sarah’s children had the same father or not.

There is one child that I believe was also Sarah’s.  In Fairview Cemetery, in New Albany, Indiana, there is a stone for the infant of S. A. Gilliland.  This infant was stillborn on September 13, 1880.  The grave is close to the grave of Sarilda.8,9

Sources

  1. Floyd County Health Department. Microfilm. Floyd County, Indiana Deaths (1925-1928): book CH-35, p.120. Retrieved 07 Dec 2015 from Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.
  2. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.  Year: 1860; Census Place: New Albany Ward 6, Floyd, Indiana; Roll: M653_257; Page: 422; Image: 426; Family History Library Film: 803257.
  3. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.Year: 1880; Census Place: New Albany, Floyd, Indiana; Roll: 277; Family History Film: 1254277; Page: 372B; Enumeration District: 076; Image: 0405.
  4. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Year: 1900; Census Place: New Albany, Floyd, Indiana; Roll: 371; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 0069; FHL microfilm: 1240371.
  5. Floyd County Health Department. Microfilm. Floyd County, Indiana Deaths (1882-1885): book CH-1, p.23. Retrieved 22 Dec 2015 from Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.
  6. Obituary, New Albany Evening Tribune, Wednesday, 26 June 1895, p. 4, column 2, Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.
  7. Atchley, Margaret, et al., comps. Fairview Cemetery: January 1, 1891 to December 31, 1899. Vol. 4. New Albany, Ind. (P.O. Box 665, New Albany 47151): Southern Indiana Genealogical Society, 1995. Print. The Indiana Southern Counties Collection. p.26.
  8. Clipp, Mary Cuzzort, Richard Clipp, Jackie Murray Nance, Wanda Perkins Stepp, and Shirley Wolf, comps. Fairview Cemetery: January 7, 1866 to December 31, 1880. Vol. 2. New Albany, Ind. (P.O. Box 665, New Albany 47151): Southern Indiana Genealogical Society, 1991. Print. The Indiana Southern Counties Collection. p.37.
  9. “Infant of S A Gilliland (1880 – 1880) – Find A Grave Memorial.” FindAGrave.com. S Carpenter, 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 07 Dec. 2015. Find A Grave Memorial # 101409059.

 

Lydia Slaymaker: Will the Real Lydia Please Stand Up? (52 Ancestors #49)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Research Process, Slaymaker Family, Springer Family

The name Slaymaker always makes me think of winter.  It conjures images in my head of a person building a sleigh, even though the spelling is different.  Of course, Schleiermacher, the original spelling, means “veil maker.”  Nevertheless, this auditory association has prompted me to write about Lydia Slaymaker.

In truth, I know almost nothing about her.  However, I hope that what little I do know is enough to straighten out some confusion that seems to be spreading across the internet.  There were two Lydia Slaymakers born in the same century and both lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Both also died young.  I have been trying to find Lydia Slaymaker who married Nicholas Springer, but often the wrong Lydia is attached to the family trees that I come across.

Lydia Slaymaker was born in 1782, the seventh child of John and Mary (Peck) Slaymaker.1,2,4  She married Nicholas Springer, the son of Nicholas and Elizabeth (McIlvaine) Springer.2,3  They had two children:  John Slaymaker Springer (born circa 1810) and Elizabeth Springer.2,5  Lydia died on December 22, 1818 and was buried in Old Leacock Presbyterian Church cemetery.1,4

There was another Lydia Slaymaker who was born in 1769 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.2,6  She died on September 20, 1794 and was also buried in Old Leacock Presbyterian Church cemetery.6  She is often listed as the wife of Nicholas Springer and the mother of John and Elizabeth on family trees.  This is not possible.

First, Lydia was the seventh child of John and Mary Slaymaker.  The third child, Mathias, was born in 1774, so there is no way Lydia could have been born before him.2

Second, Lydia married Nicholas Springer.  Why would she be buried under the name Lydia Slaymaker?  This a good indication that Lydia Slaymaker (1769-1794) is not the correct one, and Lydia Slaymaker Springer (1782-1818) is the correct one.

Third, and last, Lydia’s son, John, was born sometime between 1800 and 1810.  It just isn’t possible for Lydia to have died in 1794 and then given birth to two children.

We all make mistakes.  This research has been a reminder to me that I need to be very careful when I’m fitting pieces together.  I need to check and re-check my dates.  With winter upon us, I’m sure there will be a number of snow days.  I can’t think of a better use for them than verifying my data.

Sources

  1. Egle, William Henry. “Leacock Presbyterian Church.” Notes and Queries: Historical, Biographical and Genealogical, Relating Chiefly to Interior Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Harrisburg, 1898. 79. Google Books. Pennsylvania State Library, 15 July 2006. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.
  2. Slaymaker, Henry Cochran. “Part III. Descendants of Mathias Slaymaker, Second.” History of the Descendants of Mathias Slaymaker Who Emigrated from Germany and Settled in the Eastern Part of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, about 1710. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: n.p., 1909. 115-21. Google Books. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 29 Nov. 2007. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.
  3. Daughters of the American Revolution. “Springer, Nicholas.” A Roster of Revolutionary Ancestors of the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution: Commemoration of the United States of America Bicentennial, July 4, 1976. Vol. 1. Evansville, IN: Unigraphic, 1976. 601.HeritageQuest Online [ProQuest]. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.
  4. C&P LaPlante Files. “Lydia Springer (1782 – 1818).” Find A Grave. N.p., 26 July 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. Find A Grave Memorial# 20647591.
  5. 1840 United States Federal Census. Ancestry.com, 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2014. Orange, Indiana. p.95. Line 18.
  6. C&P LaPlante Files. “Lydia Slaymaker (1769 – 1794).” Find A Grave. N.p., 14 Mar. 2006. Web. 08 Dec. 2015. Find A Grave Memorial# 13617389.